Flow control valve



Feb. 9, 1960 G. s. ELLIS FLow'coNTRoL VALVE Filed June 24, 1955 apa@United States, ,Patent 2,924,231 FLOW CONTROL vALvE Application June 24,1955, Serial No. 517,677

1 Claim. (Cl. IS7-599.2)

This invention relates to uid iiow control valves and particularly to avalve permitting full flow in one direction and adjustable determinedflowin the opposite..direction. A .1,

Heretofore, in valves permitting free ow in one direction, andadjustable determined or restricted flow in the opposite direction, thefree ow has been subject to a tortuous route through the valve withresulting turbulence that disturbed a more ideal free ow characteristicsuch as is found in the conventional in-line check valve. Therefore, anobject of my invention is the provision of a valve the free owcharacteristic of which is substantially the same as a conventionalin-line check valve and which also may be readily adjusted to eithercompletely check the return flow or permit selection of a wide range ofrestricted return flow.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a valve of thecharacter mentioned in which the free flow and return ow passages .areconcentrically arranged to provide a generally in-line structure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a valve of thecharacter mentioned which includes a body member defining a passagewaytherethrough within which is a check valve, with a pair of ports openingthrough the wall of the passageway on the upstream and downstream sidesof the valve, and a sleeve shiftably encircling the body member anddening therewith a uid passageway communicating with each of said portsand providing a bypass around the check valve which is variable in iiowcapacity according to the relative shifted positions of the sleeve andbody members.

Other objects, advantages, and meritorious features will more fullyappear from the specification, claims, and accompanying drawing,wherein:

Fig. l Iis a cross sectional view taken through a flow control valveembodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

As shown in Fig. 1 a ow control valve embodying my invention includestwo threadedly connected members, a generally elongate cylindrical bodymember 10, and a generally elongate sleeve member 12 shiftably receivedover the body member and threadedly connected thereto at 14 and 16. Theexterior of the sleeve may be suitably shaped, such as shown in Figs. 2and 3, to receive the jaws of a wrench to permit threaded rotation ofthe sleeve upon the body member. A lock nut 1S f engaging threads 20 isadapted to lock the sleeve and body members in determined adjustedpositions. The male threads 20 and the female threads 22 are adapted tocouple the body member to fluid pressure lines.

The body member is provided therethrough with a passageway 24. Withinthe passageway is disposed a spring loaded check valve. The check valveincludes an annular valve seat 26, and a valve element 2S adapted to beheld against the valve seat by `a coil spring 30 bear- 2,924,237....Ptatentedir 9,1' 21960' ICC,

1;- ing at'one'end against ytlie valve element 28 and encircling theboss `32 thereof, and bearing `at its opposite end against an aperturedspring retainer 34 received within a provided groove in `*the bodymember. Fluid ilow through lpassageway 24 in the direction of the arrowsis adapted to lift the check valve 4element 28 and permit free and fulliiow through the passageway.' Flowthrough passageway 24 in a directionopposite to the arrows is adapted to be checked by valve element 28seating against the valve seat 26, to be held'lthereagainst by theaction of the pressureof the uid and thetension of coil spring 30., v fY j A plurality of ports openv through theirwall of passage' way 24 onthe upstreamfandpownstream sides of the check valve. The ports ontheupstream side Aof the' check valve are indicated at 36, while theports on the downstream side of the valve areindicated at 38. Fluidowing throughpa'ssageway 124111111215/v enter ports 36and 38 andr ow,therethroughfo' ,a purpose hereinafter described. n i Y Sleeve member12'isadapte'd t'cooperate with body member 10 to define therewith andtherebetween an annular passageway 40, concentric with passageway 24,and communicating therewith through ports 36 and 38, to provide a bypassaround the check valve. Sleeve 12 is provided with an annular shoulder42, and the body member 10 is provided with an annular shoulder 44complementing shoulder 42. Shoulders 42 and 44 serve as cooperatingValve elements. Passageway 40 extends between complementary shoulders 42and 44, and the flow through passageway 40 is adapted to be adjustablyrestricted by the adjusted relative proximity of the shoulders to eachother. By threading sleeve 12 downwardly on the body member, as viewedin Fig. l, the shoulders are moved apart and permit a greater flowcapacity through passageway 40 than if the sleeve is threaded in theopposite direction upon the body. From a consideration of Fig. l itisapparent that sleeve 12 may v be threaded upwardly on the body untilcomplementary shoulders 42 and 44 are in abutment with one another andin this case How through passageway 40 is completely checked. Byadjustment of relative positions of sleeve 12 upon body 10, a widevariety of restricted liow through passageway 40 may be obtained.

Disposed between body member 10 and sleeve 12 at opposite ends ofpassageway 40, and received within provided annular grooves in the bodymember, are O-ring gaskets 46 and 48. The grooves 50 and 52 within whichthe O-rings are are received are of a greater length than thecross-sectional diameter of the O-r-ings to provide for a rolling actionof the 0-rings during threaded adjustment between the body member andthe sleeve. The O-rings serve to seal the escape of ud from between thesleeve and body members.

Upon uid ow through passageway 24 in the direction of the arrows, checkvalve element 28 is lifted off its seat 26 to permit free ow throughpassageway 24. In addition, a certain amount of iiuid will pass throughports 36, through passageway 40, and thence through ports 38 andcontinue on out of the body member through passageway 24. Upon reversalof flow, valve element 28 will immediately seat against valve seat 26,preventing tive positions of the sleeve and body members. It is apparentthat during the free ow movement through passageway 24 in the directionof the arrows, the ow is of substantially the same character as that ofa conventional in-line check valve, while at the same time pro1 vsion ismadeffor 4a determined amount of return flow thrsugh the device,

WhatIclaim is: u t n A flow control device of the character describedcomprising: a generally. x Lcylindrical .tbody `member t yprovided withalongiitudinally ertendingpassageway therethrough and having means,atoppositelong'itudinal endsv ther-coi for coupling attachmenttoa fluidsystem, an internal an-` site ends thereof, said body member having akport ex tending substantially"transversely through itswall atwtwopositions, one being downstream andthe other being upstream of saidannular valve seat and said` tapering surface, a sleeve member housingthe intermediateV portionA ot said body member, said "sleeve memberhaving an internal tapering shoulder opposed to and movable into sealingengagement with saidtapering surface, said sleeve r1.,1 l l t .l memberand body 'member having mating threads 'for adjustablyA positioningy thesleeve member on the body menig ber to regulateathe by-passy oypeningbetween and to sealably engage said tapering shbulder andtaperingsurface,

`said sleeve member having an internal annular wall upstream anddownstream'of its tapering shoulder which forms with the adjacent, bodymember generally annular passageways concentric with v"die'body memberpassageway and communicatingthroughrsaidyports and said bypass openingbetweensaid tapering shoulder `and sur,-

check valve 'to allowr'egulated flow therethroughnac- Acordance withth'e setting of the sleeve member 'on 'the body member. H; y

Refereiwesfoifed fin the me or 'this patent UNITED STATES` PATENTS e

